Unity of the Houses
by TheCloakofInvisibility
Summary: DRAMIONE Hermione Granger has returned to Hogwarts for her final year along with Harry, Ron, Ginny, and... Malfoy? After the war, McGonagall was placed as headmistress of e has a plan to unite the houses, but when Hermione gets chosen for the competition things get a little crazy. PS I am not JK Rowling and I don't own anything, just the plot line (:
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my first Dramione Fanfic so just keep that in mind. Welllllll I hope you like it!**

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"Hermione, hurry up!" Ginny calls.

"I'm almost done, just a moment." I said as I grabbed my sweater. I made my way downstairs at the cozy Weasley house.

"Hermione!"

"Coming!" I run through the cramped kitchen and end up in the front yard where Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Mrs. Weasley are waiting in the car.

"Goodness 'Mione, how long do you need to grab your sweater?" Ron jokes.

"Shut up Ronald. If you must know, it wasn't in the last place I left it."

"I just can't believe that we're all going back." Harry says as he looks out the window of the car. All of us go silent for a moment before I try and bring everyone's attention back to something else.

"Well, I'm super excited to take my NEWTs this year!" I say.

"Only you Hermione.." Ginny says.

"I'm just excited to have a normal year at Hogwarts. Just play Quidditch and that's it." Harry says to us all.

"Understandable mate." Ron says.

"Guys, we're here!" Ginny says as we roll into Kings Cross Station. It's 10:50 on September 1st and we're going back to Hogwarts.

At 11:00 we leave the station on the Hogwarts Express. I'm on the train with Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna. We're all laughing and talking until we see the glass door slide open. We notice a tall boy with blond hair and a pointed chin.

"Well, look who it is, Scarhead, Weaselbee, the Mudblood, and their fans. How cute."

"Shut up Malfoy," Harry says, "Why don't you go sit with the Slytherins, or are they hurting your feelings?"

Ron snickers and Malfoy looks unimpressed.

"Well I just had to know if the rumors were true. That the famous trio is back for another school year," He looks over everyone in the seats and his eyes land on me. "Wow Mudblood, already got your head in a book? No wonder your hair is so big, it's all full of stuff no one cares about." I shut my book, keeping my finger on the page.

"Well at least my head isn't bigger than my ego." I smirk at him and he turns from the cabin.

"Watch your back Mudblood." He sneers and walks off. When he's gone, everyone looks at me and laughs.

"Good one Mione, way to take a stab on his ego," Ron says laughing.

"Yeah, we didn't think you had it in you, just kidding," Ginny says smiling. The overhead speaker comes on after Ginny speaks and the conductor says that we will be arriving in 10 minutes. The 6 of us change into our robes and pack our belongings. The train rolls into the station and as we get off the train, we can see the castle in the distance.

We look at each other and walk towards the carriages for a peaceful ride back to the castle.

When we arrive at the castle, we are ushered into the Great Hall for the first dinner of the year. Before the plates appear, McGonagall (the new Headmistress) begins the sorting. There looks to be about 30 new first years. About half of them are sorted into Gryffindor, with other large amounts in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Few of them are sorted into Slytherin. After McGonagall says the normal rules, the feast begins and everyone begins eating. I have a bit of everything until I can't eat anymore. When everyone start to get up, she surprises us all with an announcement.

"Attention please. This year, Hogwarts will be doing something a bit different than the last years. With the war behind us, we need to start looking to each other for help. That is why this year, a 7th year boy and girl from each house will compete in a tournament. Now, there is a catch. The girl from one house will be paired with a boy from another house. Our goal is to promote house unity. All students in 7 year have already been entered and they are to be chosen now. If your name is called, please walk up here and stand next to me." Excited whispers break out amongst the school.

"From Gryffindor, the competitors are..." she reaches into the Gryffindor bucket and unfolds two pieces of paper, "Neville Longbottom and Hermione Granger!" I look up as my name is called and stand up. I smile at Neville as we both walk up to McGonagall. She reaches into the Hufflepuff bucket and draws two more slips.

"From Hufflepuff, the competitors are... Justin Finch-Fletchley and Hannah Abbott!" There is applause from the crowd as the two of them make their way up. McGonagall reaches into the Ravenclaw bucket and grabs the slips. The competitors are Cho Chang and Anthony Goldstein. Finally she reaches the Slytherin bucket and the slips say Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson.

When all eight of us are up here, McGonagall asks for another round of applause.

"Now we will draw for partners. Remember that whomever you choose, you are not allowed to change," we all nod our heads and she continues. "I will place the boy competitors into the Sorting hat and the girls will draw a slip from the hat. We will go in reverse from the way we did previously so, Ms. Parkinson, you're first."

Pansy draws a slip from the hat and opens it, she has a look of disgust for a moment and then hands the slip to McGonagall.

"Pansy Parkinson will be partners with Justin Finch-Fletchley."

Next, Cho Chang draws Neville's name. I'm starting to get nervous. Now only Anthony Goldstein and Malfoy are left. Hannah Abbott draws after Cho and a look of relief washes over her features. I can feel my dinner start to come up when I realize what this means.

"Hannah Abbott will be partners with Anthony Goldstein."

There's applause and then realization dawns on everyone's faces.

"That leaves Hermione Granger to be partners with Draco Malfoy."

The hall went silent for a moment until a few people starting clapping hesitantly. I look over at Malfoy and there is a mask of rage over his features as he whips his head in my direction. I sneer back and McGonagall tells everyone else they can go. I honestly cannot think straight right now. Malfoy and I will end up killing each other. I don't understand how us being partners was a good idea.

"Well, now that you all have your partners, there is another twist. Each pair will be sharing a common room located on the seventh floor."

At that moment, my stomach dropped like I was on a rollercoaster. McGonagall gave everyone looks as if they would dare to argue.

"Now, I will be leading all of you up there. Your bags have been brought up already."

As we walked up the stairs, I fell in step with Neville.

"I'm really sorry Hermione," Neville says.

"It's okay, I'll just ignore him like usual and I should be fine."

"Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy, up here please."

"Bye Neville," I walk up to the front where McGonagall is standing in front of our room.

"This is your common room. The password is Felix Felicis. Inside, you will find a common room with tables, a fireplace, and chairs. There are 4 doors in the room. The left leads to the kitchenette, the left middle goes to Ms. Granger's room, the right middle goes to Mr. Malfoy's room, and the right goes to the bathroom. I hope you both know that any fighting will land you both in detention. Good night," With that, McGonagall led the others to their rooms.

"Well-" I start to say.

"Don't try to talk to me Granger. Just because we're partners, it doesn't mean we are gonna be friends," he said the password and went inside the room.

"Who said anything about being friends? I was going to say that we should at least be civil to one another," I hold out my hand for him to shake.

"You're funny Granger," he says as he leaves the room.

I scowl at him and go to my own room; inside I have a vanity, a bed, an armoire, a desk and a bookshelf. The walls are a deep red and my bed sheets are white and gold. I quickly change into my pajamas and collapse into my bed, waiting to see what tomorrow would bring.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! So I will be updating every Friday. I have the first 6 chapters written and I am pretty sure the story will be just over 10 chapters. If you want to follow my HP Instagram account it is perksofawizard . If you have questions, message me on there because I am more likely to answer. Okay, thanks and here's Chapter 2!**

Laughter. Well I mean if you can call it that. It's more of a cackle. A chuckle. An evil sneer clouds my vision. All I can see is crooked teeth, crazy black hair, and manic eyes. I cry as I stare into the eyes of my torturer, Bellatrix Lestrange. She continues to laugh as she brands my arm, carving deep letters that will last for my entire lifetime. I scream until my throat is raw and see the Malfoy family watching the scene in front of them. The dirty manor starts to fade and all that is left is nothing.

I wake up in an instant, covered in sweat and clutching my arm, the dirty word still visible after four months. Since that night at Malfoy Manor, I've been having nightmares. They've come and gone but they are always the same. Being tortured and having no one to help. It takes me a second to realize that I am no longer in the Gryffindor tower at Hogwarts. Instead I am in a new room with new furniture and no room mates. Last night's memories come back to me in a tidal wave. I stifle a groan into my pillow as I sit up. I look at the clock and see that it is half five. I decide that I might as well wake up and begin to get ready. I throw on a robe over my tank top and shorts and walk outside my room. I walk to the bathroom and turn on the shower. I undress and step into the hot shower, washing away all the terrors of the night. I expect I've been in there for a good 20 minutes because I hear a knock on the bathroom door.

"Granger, hurry the hell up," Malfoy screams, "You're not the only one who needs to get ready."

I turn off the shower and wrap my self in the robe. After gathering my things I walk out of the bathroom and ignore the fuming boy standing in the common room. When I shut my door, I change into my uniform and robes. I double check that my bag is packed and I head over to my vanity. I look into the mirror and do a quick-drying spell on my hair. I also put a small amount of Sleekeazy hair potion to control the frizz. I ignore the make-up that Ginny and I got together and walk out of the room to grab a small breakfast in the kitchen. After the cereal, it's 7:00 so I decide to meet my friends down at the Gryffindor table. I double check my time table and bag and head downstairs to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Her Mione, what's up?" Harry asks as I sit down.

"Not much, but I'm really excited for class today. We have Defense first, then Potions, then transfiguration, and we end with Herbology," I start to grab a piece of toast when I realize that Harry, Ginny, and Ron are all staring at me, "What?"

"What do you mean 'what'? How was your night with Malfoy?" Ginny asks.

"Well we ignored each other and that was it. So it was nothing that wasn't normal."

"Well you do know you two will have to get along if you want to win this. I mean, how cool would it be if we had a Gryffindor champion?" Harry says.

"Well what about Neville?" I ask

"Come on Hermione, do you really think Neville can do this with Cho Chang?" Ron says, "I mean come on."

"For your information Ronald, they are both very intelligent people. Plus, they already get along. That's one more thing than Malfoy and I."

"So you're saying that Malfoy is smart?" Ron says

"Well he's not exactly stupid. I happen to know that he is second in our class. The only problem is being civil towards one another. I will be happy to try but, it's a two way street."

"Not likely Granger." I spin around and see Malfoy staring down at us.

"What do you want Ferret?" says Ron.

"Nothing from you Weasel, just wanted to tell Granger that McGonagall wants to talk to us."

"When?" I ask

"Mmmm about 10 minutes ago," He says smirking.

"What?! You're an idiot," I turn to my friends and give a small wave as I storm away from Malfoy and out of the Great Hall. I can hear footsteps catching up to me and mumble not-so-nice words under my breath.

"Wow Granger, you better watch your mouth. McGonagall will not appreciate it."

"Shut up Malfoy."

"Well what happened to being civil?" He smirks.

"Fine," I stop in my tracks and he runs into me. I back up a couple steps and look him in the eyes. "I don't like you, and you don't like me. How about we be civil towards each other until this competition is over. Then we can go back to normal. Deal?" He seems to think it over a moment before he gives a slight nod of his head. I turn away from him and continue y trek to McGonagall's office.

"So Granger, what does 'being civil' mean exactly?"

"Well, it means no name calling. We will address each other by name. Two, it means no getting into arguments about anything stupid. I really don't want to deal with it. Got it?"

"Fine."

"Fine." There are no more words said until we get to the office. I don't know the password. I look over to Malfoy.

"What? A teachers' pet like you doesn't have the password?"

"Shove off Malfoy, you don't know it."

"Yes I do."

"Okay then open the door," I say, "unless you can't."

"I can Granger, watch." I watch him get closer to the large Griffin statue and whisper something. A moment later he turns and smirks. I, however, and already walking up the steps to Professor McGonagall's room.

"Thanks Malfoy." I turn around and give him a Malfoy-worthy smirk and he stares at me in disbelief. I look back at the door and knock three times. I hear a faint "Come in"and open the door. I see McGonagall sitting behind the grand desk in the office.

"You and Mr. Malfoy are late."

"Sorry Professor, I was not informed of the meeting until about 5 minutes ago."

"No worries, now, will both of you please take a seat? We have some things that we need to talk about in regards to the competition." Malfoy and I both sit in the chairs and wait to see what Professor McGonagall has to say.

"I know that the two of you have had altercations in the past. However, I want you to put those aside and try to get along. Now, you will need to figure out this clue before the first task on October 1st. Inside this envelope are two pictures. You have a little less than a month to figure out what you will be doing. In this duration, you two and the other six competitors will have less homework than everyone else so your grades won't slip. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." Malfoy says

"Good, now first class has already started so you two may go. I trust that your problems can be solved as grown ups?"

"Yes Professor." I say.

"Goodbye." She says as we walk out the door and down the stairs to the corridor.

"Well Granger," he says, "looks like we'll actually need to help each other."

"Okay, I will be going to the library after classes today. If you would like to help, meet me there."

"Okay, how about we go to the library and check out the books. Then we can work in our common room."

"Fine."

"Okay Granger." He turns and walks down the corridor. I allow myself a small smile because I think that when Malfoy is civil, he's really not that bad. I turn in the other direction and make my way to class.


	3. Chapter 3

Three weeks later, I find Malfoy and myself in the library, still trying to figure out the clue. The only thing we have is a photograph of a troll. I mean, it really shouldn't be that hard to figure out.

"Granger, you're going to get us kicked out, stop pacing!" Malfoy hissed. Over the past couple weeks, Malfoy and I have been getting along a little better. Which is an amazing improvement to our teamwork.

"Well I am sorry I am so concerned over the task. I still can't believe we haven't figured out the clues yet."

"Okay well, we know it has something to do with a troll."

"Obviously Malfoy." I turn and shoot him a look.

"I mean, we've read about them, maybe we have to fight one? Come on.. Is there anyone at this school who knows everything about trolls?" An idea comes to my mind.

"Oh my goodness. I cannot believe I was so stupid!" I say, packing my things.

"What?" He asks

"Seriously, I should've though of this the day we looked at the picture." I leave the library with Malfoy following closely.

"Okay Granger, what do you know now?"

"Well I mean it's a troll. Which is a magical creature. Who knows everything about them? Hagrid."

"Oh joy. Let's go visit the oaf." He doesn't look happy.

"Shut up," I look at him and smile. He gives me a quizzical look but doesn't say anything. "we have to hurry though, curfew starts in 30 minutes."

Malfoy and I make our way down to Hagrid's house. We knock on the door and when Hagrid sees me, he smiles and welcomes me inside.

"'Ello Mione, what can I do for you?"

"Well, with the first task coming up, I was hoping you could give me some help with information on trolls."

"Such as..." He asks. before I can say anything, Malfoy cuts in.

"Behavior. Is there anything special about trolls?"

"Well no, not really. I mean just like any creature they have a tendency to become violent when they feel threatened. I mean wizards are territorial but trolls are much more so," At that moment, everything clicked. I jumped up and nearly knocked over the rickety table. "You okay Mione?"

"I am perfect thanks Hagrid!" I turn to Malfoy, "I have a theory and I will explain it on the way back to the common room. Thanks again Hagrid!" Then I leave his house.

"Okay, what did you figure out?" Malfoy asks.

"Well Hagrid said that trolls are very territorial. That means that chances are, we are going to inadvertently threaten a troll which coincides with stepping too close. I expect that the troll will be given something to guard that we will have to steal."

"Well done Granger," He says smirking.

"Did I, Hermione Granger, just earn a compliment from Draco Malfoy? Wow times have changed." I laugh at him.

"Don't read into it." He says back and we walk back to the room in comfortable silence.

A week later finds Malfoy and I ready to compete in the first task. Malfoy and I get dressed in our uniforms. The uniforms are sleek black body suits made out of dragon hide. On one arm we wear a maroon band and the other holds a green band. I hear Professor McGonagall explaining the rules and the task, in general, to the audience.

"The rules are simple, each pair were given a single picture of the task. It was their job to figure that out. Now, we are going to start the competition with the competitors from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, Anthony Goldstein and Hannah Abbott!"  
There are cheers as the two go out. We here a monstrous roar and 15 minutes later, we here a bell. The two have finished. According to the judges, they got a 7.4/10.  
Next up is Neville and Cho. They left and 10 minutes later, we here the bell. They received an 8.6/10. Malfoy and I are next. We walk up to the tent opening and give a slight nod to each other. Together we walk out of the tent, holding our heads high. There's a lot of applause. I feel like that is because it's Gryffindor and Slytherin. The houses with the most pride. I look over and see a banner that Dean is holding. On it is a lion with a background that is alternating between Blue and Green, (Blue for Cho and Neville, Green for Malfoy and I).

The arena isn't too big, in the center of it sits a bag of coins. Guess I was right in the defending part.

"Now everyone, the competitors from Gryffindor and Slytherin will begin their fight. May the odds be ever in their favor!"  
I look over at Malfoy and we go over the spells we learned the previous night. We studied up on trolls, most spells don't work on them unless they are performed by more than one person. We hear the sound of a cage opening.

"One, two, three" I start.

"Pertrificus Totalus!" We say in unison. The troll locks up and Malfoy and I share a smile. We work our way around the troll but our happy attitudes are gone when we see him break free of the curse. He takes is club and swings it at Malfoy. I see it come down and I almost scream. When the troll lifts the club, I can see that he is fine. He must've rolled out of the way. He sees me looking and motions toward the bag. He must want me to get the bag while the beast is distracted. I look back as he sends a spell at the giant.

"Stupefy!" he yells. The troll looks dazed and I use that time to make my way towards the bag. I am so close to the coins. He needs to keep the trolls attention on him. He sends another spell to it, as I am 5 feet away from the bag. I snatch the bag and the bell rings. I proudly hold the bag above my head as the crowd cheers. A trainer coerces the troll back into the cage. Malfoy runs over to me and I throw my arms around him. He tenses for a moment but hugs me back anyways. We let go of each other as McGonagall starts talking.

"Congratulations to Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy! They have completed this task in the shortest amount of time! It only took the two of them 8 minutes to defeat the troll. I give them a 9.5/10." There is a lot of applause and she motions over to the other heads of the houses. Snape holds up and 8, Flitwick holds up a 9, and Sprout holds up a 10! "If my arithmancy is correct, that gives the Gryffindor/ Slytherin team a 9.2! That is the highest score so far! Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy are currently in the lead for points! Now, we have one more team to get through and then everyone will be dismissed. Next up is the Slytherin/Hufflepuff team, Pansy Parkinson and Justin Finch-Fletchley!"

After the final team competes (they got a 6.8/10 for lack of team work and not being able to finish in under 30 minutes), McGonagall announces the next task will be the first day in December and everyone makes their way back to the school. Apparently, Gryffindor house is having a party for Neville and I because we are the top two teams. I make my way up to the common room without changing because I can do that later.

I walk into the common room and the room is already chaotic. Someone got into a stash of Firewhiskey so there is plenty of alcohol. I try to ignore that part and keep walking through. I find my friends and sit down with them. All I want to do is relax and spend some time with them.

 **I apologize for the later update... I completely forgot until I got a review and then I remembered. Whoops, my bad... Okay well I WILL update this Friday again. Or maybe Thursday just to make it up to you all(:**


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, something happened and I thought I posted last week, but I guess it didn't go through? SORRY here is this chapter today as well... SO SORRY

After the party, I go back to my room and grab my pajamas. I walk back out and notice Malfoy sitting on the chair. I give him a smile and go to take a shower. When I get out, I get on some of my pajama shorts and tank top. I walk out of the bathroom and find that Malfoy has retreated to his room for the night. I grab a book and sit myself in front of the roaring fireplace in the common room. The warmth washes over me and I open my book to where I last left off. I feel my eyes start to droop and then I'm too tired to go back to my bedroom. I fall asleep to the cackling of the coals.

When I finally drift into a comfortable sleep, my nightmares begin. I'm in a school corridor and I see a flash of green light and a body hit the ground. I panic and start to run into the Great Hall, leaving the heart of the battle. I can feel the pain in my sprained ankle as I move along. I will myself to wake up from this horrid dream, but nothing happens. I continue to make my way through the room and I try to locate Harry and Ron. I can't see either of them though. What I can see is the fierce Bellatrix Lestrange in battle.

She's shooting Unforgivables willy nilly but most of them are not reaching a target. I make my way over there until I am standing next to Molly Weasley. We nod at each other and start fighting the crazed woman until I hear a Crucio and see a flash of red light coming right at me. My eyes widen in shock and I immediately fall to the ground, a pile of thrashing limbs. The pain is even worse than before. All I can feel is red-hot knives plunging into my body as I try to wake up from the dream. I can here someone calling my name as I slowly drift into unconsciousness.

I suddenly wake up in the common room, with Malfoy calling my name. I'm crying and during the nightmare, I seem to have fallen out of the chair. I don't acknowledge Malfoy until he picks me up and takes me to my room. His face is masked like always, but I can make out flashes of worry across his features. The way his jaw is tight and his eyes blood shot.

"Hermione!" He says, "Are you okay?" I look over at him and his grey eyes. He's crouched down in front of the bed.

"What? Oh, I'm fine now, thanks."

"Obviously you are not fine."

"Okay." He waits a couple moments before he stands up.

"Well Goodnight Granger." He walks toward the door.

"Wait."

"What?"

"Stay?" I say quietly. I look up and see him debating whether it's a good idea.

"Granger, I don't know if that's a great idea." He says back, his hand is on the door now.

"Please?"

"Okay." He says finally and levitates a chair from the common room into my room. He sits in it and starts to get comfortable. I smile to myself and fall back asleep.

When I wake up in the morning, I see the morning light shining through my bedroom window. I turn over and am surprised when I see Malfoy sitting in a chair next to my bed. I take a moment and look over him. His facial expressions as he's sleeping are relaxed and much more appealing when he's asleep.

I've never really noticed how handsome he was. His chiseled jaw and pointed chin are quite attractive. And his bow-shaped lips look soft and inviting. And when his eyes are open, they are the most piercing color of grey. Girls get easily lost in them. Besides his face, his body isn't bad either. Years of quidditch has really paid of. I can see his muscles shaped and flexing under the thin fabric of his t-shirt. I tear my eyes away when he shifts in his sleep. I look back and take a sharp intake of breath. Damn, Malfoy is a fine man. I clear my head and get up from the bed. I walk out the door to the kitchen for a light breakfast.

(Draco's POV)

After the competition, I walk straight back to my room. I shower and change into a t-shirt and loose sweat pants. I settle down into a comfortable chair in the common room and begin working on my homework. As I am putting the finishing touches on my potions essay, I hear Granger come in from her Gryffindor party. I look over and she walks into her room, oblivious to me. She comes out moments later with clothes and shower supplies. She notices me and gives me a small smile and continues her way into the bathroom.

As I hear the shower start, I completely finish my essay. I decide to retreat for the night and go into my room and crawl into bed.

I am woken up hours later by a scream. It takes me a second until I realize it's coming from the common room. I grab my wand from my bedside table and dash out the door. When I throw it open, I don't see anything aside from a thrashing Granger sitting on a chair. I make my way over to her and try to gently wake her up.

"Fuck Granger." I say. trying to ease her up. I take hold of her arm gently and she twists out of my grip and lands on her back on the floor. Damn it.

"Granger? Granger! Hermione!" I'm trying my best to wake her up. Shite, she's not waking up. She slowly stops thrashing and I start to brush her hair out of her face. She slowly begins to become conscious again. She doesn't notice me, so I pick her up and carry her to her room. She's actually light and I can feel her stare on me as I lay her on her bed.

"Granger, are you alright?" I say.

"What? Oh, I'm perfect now, thanks."

"Obviously you are not fine."

"Okay." I give her a once over, not believing it at all. I stand up and head over to the semi-closed door.

"Well Goodnight Granger." I say as I touch the handle.

"Wait."

"What?" I spin back around and look at her. The way she's sitting, with her knees pulled to her chest, and the terrified look in her eyes makes me hesitate. I almost leave again until I hear her next word.

"Stay?" I'm shocked. Confused.

"I don't think that's a great idea." I turn again.

"Please?" This time, that one word gets me.

"Okay." I levitate a chair from the common room and set it down next to her bed. I notice her small smile and she falls back asleep. I look at her for a moment and notice how smooth her hair has gotten since last year. It's now tamed and lays in waves down her back. Her face not unappealing either. In fact, it's quite attractive. She has a slight splash of freckles across her nose and her mouth is set into a small grin. I close my eyes and fall asleep to her steady breathing.

When I wake up, I notice that Granger is still in her bed. She's awake though so I quickly pretend to be asleep. I open my eyes enough to see but not enough for her to know. I watch her as she looks around the room and notices me. Her eyebrows scrunch together in concentration and I see her eyes roam over my face and body. When I know she's looking at my torso, I roll over and purposefully sit in a position where my shirt is pushed up a little bit, exposing some of my abs. I hear her breath hitch and I try my hardest not to smirk. She sits there for another minute.

She gets up and when her back is turned, I open my eyes and watch her walk toward the door. Her hips swaying and hair waving at me. She leaves the room and I sit up and stretch. I remember last night and the corners of my mouth lift up. When I'm about to get up, the door opens again and it reveals Granger. She's in the shorts and tank top still (which are way too revealing but I don't mind), her hair is in a messy bun and she's carrying two cups of tea.

"You're up," she says surprised, "how long have you been up?"

"Mmmm about 5 minutes," I smirk at her and she turns red and her eyes get huge. She walks toward the nightstand and hides her face.

"Like aware of your surroundings? Or just slightly conscious?" She sounds worried.

"If you are referring to when you were undressing me with your eyes, then I knew the whole time."

"And you didn't say anything?" She said.

"Nope." I get up and walk over to her. I stand behind her about a foot away. My arms are crossed and I easily tower over her by about six inches. She turns quickly and looks up at me, surprised at how close I am.

"Arse."

"And proud." I say back. I realize that I was inadvertently walking closer to her. Now only inches apart, she looks up at me and looks like she is trying to decide if she should do something. I can basically see the cogs turning in her head. She looks like the came to a decision and stands up on her tiptoes. I watch her lean in and I'm too afraid that if I move, I'll ruin it. Her face comes closer to mine and I hold my breath. When her libs are centimeters from mine, she reaches up to my face. She angles my head to the right and plants a barely-there kiss on my cheek.

"Thank you," she whispers as she lingers. My heart is racing and I am praying to Salazar that she can't sense it. I turn to look back and find out that she has already slipped out of the room. Like hell she's gonna get away that easily. I walk out of the room and hear the sound of the main door closing.


	5. Chapter 5

(Back to Hermione's POV)

Look at that Gryffindor Courage. When I was in my room, I knew that Malfoy was standing behind me. I acted surprised but I think that I left him speechless after I kissed him. Serves him right for knowing that I was watching him. Today is a Sunday, so before all but running out of the common room, I grabbed my school bag and I am currently on my way to the library.

I put the bag we got from the troll in my bag and now I can go and research it. I make my way to the back table of the library. It's next to a big window and it's deep enough in the library so nobody comes back. I set down my stuff and pull out the bag of coins. As I take one out, I feel a presence behind me. Before I can take out my wand, a hand covers my eyes.

"Come on Granger, you think you can pull a stunt like that and walk away easily?" Malfoy says in a deep, gravelly voice. I struggle to form a coherent sentence and he just chuckles. He removes his hands and sits down at the table. "So this is your hideout."

"Yes, it's very nice," I say out loud while still looking over the coins. They aren't knuts, sickles, or galleons. I actually don't think they are any form of currency. One side of the coin is blank and the other has a flower on it.

"So Granger, have you figured anything out about the next task?"

"Well, I don't know much about plants, so we'll have to find it in the books."

"Great, more time in the library," he says.

"No one is forcing you," I say in a singsong voice, "I mean, you can leave whenever you want."

"Well, you can't have all the credit for figuring this stuff out!" he says back.

"Fine, then you can go look for book son Herbology. We need to find out more about this plant. So go around the library and bring books back." He nods and gets up. I watch him walk away and realize that working with him isn't so bad after all.

An hour later, Malfoy and I are still sitting at the table, flipping through books. All of the sudden, Malfoy springs up, holding a book.

"Did you find something?" I ask. He gives me an are-you-serious look and comes closer to me. He lies the book on the table as he begins to read it out loud.

"Campanula rapunculus. It is a bell shaped flower that, when asked by wizards, will answer one question honestly. We must have to find it somewhere and that's how we get prepared for the next task!"

"Wow, Malfoy that was brilliant. So now we have the main points. We're basically good for the 2nd task."

"Well, that wasn't too bad, now was it?" He lifts the book off the table and smirks at me.

"No it wasn't," I say back and start to gather my things.

December 1st came and Malfoy and I were in our rooms, getting into our uniforms for the second task. When we're done, we walk out of our room and make our way down to the Forbidden Forest, as instructed by owl. As we walk through the giant doors, I feel the temperature drop to the point where I cast a warming charm on myself. We walk down the hill and find a tent. We walk inside and see McGonagall with the other teams. Joining the group, McGonagall starts to explain the rules.

"Now, I hope you have all gotten a close look as to what you are doing in the Forbidden Forest. In the past two months, all the teams should have studied up on the flower. This is because the goal for you today is to find that flower. After you find it, carefully dig it out of the ground and do not kill it. This is your only clue as to what the third and final task will be. Is that clear?"

We all mutter a yes ma'am as we walk out of the tent. We see most of the school has come to watch. McGonagall glosses over the rules one more time and before we know it, she starts the clock. We have to get the flower and be back within two hours. Malfoy and I take off running through the woods. I cast a 'Point Me' spell while thinking of the flower. It points us north and we continue jogging. There is little light, despite being the afternoon. We both slow down in order to take a little break from running.

We look around and take in our surrounding, the twisted trees look sinister and the sounds of the forest don't help. The cold air also makes this entire experience worse.

"Okay, well the spell says Northwest now." I tell Malfoy.

"Do you wanna just walk now? I have a stitch." He says.

"We might as well." We continue along the forest floor and we soon come into a clearing. We spot three of the flowers.

"Looks like someone beat us to one." Malfoy says, we walk over to one of the flowers and use magic to carefully dig up the flower. I pull out my bag, which still has the undetectable extension charm, and place the plant inside. Malfoy and I turn around and start to walk back the way we came. We hear some noises of the forest, but ignore them as we get farther away from the clearing. After 10 minutes of walking, the whispers have become loud and more menacing.

"Well, this is nice," I say. "How about we run?"

"Sounds like a plan." Malfoy says. We start of with a slow jog, not wanting to tire too fast. I turn around to look and try to see something. I don't, and I face forward. As soon as I turn back, my foot hits a branch that's sticking out of the ground. I let out a strangled cry as I fall forward, tripping Malfoy in the process. My ankle lands and I can hear something snap as I hit the forest floor. We finally stop and Malfoy lands on his back, with me on top of him.

My eyes are closed and when I open them, I find Malfoy staring at me and our eyes lock. My brown on his grey. Our faces are inches apart and all we can do is stare. All thoughts fly out of my head and the noises of the forest fade away. All I can hear is our breathing. I can feel his heart beat and it matches mine in the rapidness of beats. I can't stop the blush coming to my face. We sit there for a minute without doing anything.

"We should get going." I say, rather reluctantly.

"Yeah," he replies, but neither of us moves. "Granger?"

"Yeah?"

"You're on top of me."

"Right." I roll off oh I'm and he sits up. He stands up and offers his hand to help me. What a gentleman. I stand up, but when I do, my ankle gives out again. Before I hit the ground, I can feel his warm, strong hands on my waist. He pulls me back up and doesn't let go.

"What happened?" He asks.

"When I tripped, my ankle got caught. I think it's broken." I say. He looks at me for a moment then turns around and crouches.

"Get on."

"What?"

"Just do it," he says. I wrap my arms around his neck and he starts to stand up. I wrap my good ankle around his front side and he puts his arms around my legs to keep me in place. A piggyback. "Comfortable?"

"Yes." I say in a quiet voice. He starts off through the forest and I can't help but lay me head on his neck as he walks. I can smell his cologne and it smells like a scent I have come to know as Malfoy. I let my self smile and allow my self to relax. Five minutes later, we can hear the crowd and finally come out of the forest. The cheers continue, and I already see two teams back. Neville/Cho and Pansy/Justin. When Malfoy gets close to McGonagall, she waves over Madam Pomfrey. Pomfret comes over and levitates a stretcher for me. I let go of Malfoy as I sit on it. Malfoy turns back around and I grab his hand.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," he says. I smile and start to tell the two women what had happened in the forest, leaving out the one part. Madam Pomfrey gives me a potion and wraps it. When I slide off the table, I can put a little more pressure on my ankle, but not enough to get all the way back to the castle. Malfoy rolls his eyes in a playful manner and motions for me to get on again. McGonagall allows us to leave early and lets us walk to the castle. I don't think he knows that I can see his expressions because he full-on smiles without restraint for the first time this year. And I really don't think I have held onto anything tighter in my entire life.

* * *

SORRY! I was out of town with out my laptop...  
OKAY here's a longer chapter.  
I'll post chapter 6 early? Yeah because I am nice...  
Please R+R (:


	6. Chapter 6

Later that night, Malfoy and I are sitting in the common room, not caring about the flowers yet. Neither of us has mentioned what happened in the forest today and I really hope he doesn't plan to. My ankle has fully healed and the soreness has gone down. We are both curled up in our chairs and reading in front of the roaring fire. We both look up when we hear a knock. Moments later, McGonagall walks into our common room.

"Hello you two! I just wanted to come up and say congratulations on the task today. I never got to tell you the scores but as you know, Mr. Longbottom and Ms. Chang got first with 9.3 points. Ms. Parkinson and Mr. Finch-Fletchley got second with 8.6 points. You two came third with 7.9 points, and Ms. Abbott and Mr. Goldstein got fourth with 6.5 points." Malfoy and I both nod and McGonagall continues. "You two also missed the exciting news! Similar to the Triwizard tournament, we will be hosting a ball for 7th years only. The ball will take place on New Years Eve and all competitors are required to help set-up the dance as well as attend." I get pretty excited at that news. I start to think about all the decorations we can use in the planning.

"So, will we be able to go to Hogsmeade for our dresses?" I ask.

"Yes Ms. Granger, and if you are planning on going home for the holidays, you can shop then as well. If 7th years are going home, they will have to be back on the 30th of the dance. The date of the next task will also be announced on New Years Day." She turns to leave and then looks back. "One more thing, the competitors will be the ones who open up the dance. That means, you two will be dancing together for the first dance. If you want to bring someone else, you may but the first dance is going to be between partners. Have a good night."

"Thanks professor!" I yell. I look over at Malfoy and see him smirking. "What?"

He keeps his smirk and stands up. He starts to move all the furniture to the side and clears an open space. He motions for me to get up and I remain in my seat.

"Come on Granger, get up."

"Why?" I say smiling.

"Well, if we have to dance together, I want to make sure you know how. I am not going to spend the whole night having you trod all over my feet." He says.

I ignore the part about the 'whole night' thing and stand up. I move my chair to the side as well and I conjure up a record player. I decide on a waltz and soon, the music is filling the room.

"Fine, but I must warn you, I am an awful dancer."

"I bet you just haven't found the right partner yet." He smiles and bows to me, offering his hand. I smile at him and gladly take it. He places on hand on my waist and I place my free hand on his shoulder. The room is dark except for the light of the fire. It casts a romantic glow though the room that makes this moment even better. Wait, what moment?

"Okay Malfoy, teach me how to dance." I smile up at him and he starts to step forward with his left. I step back with my right and he gives a small nod. He opens up with his right and I follow with my left, accidentally stepping on his foot. "Sorry"

"It's fine." He grimaces a little but continues with a ghost of a smile. He brings his foot around and places it next to his right. I mirror him and look up at him again. He is looking down at our feet and trying to focus. I give a small smile and he repeats the same motion backwards. After a few circles, he looks down at me.

"Well Granger, looks like you found a great dance partner," He gives me a rare smile and I can't help but notice how dark his eyes look in the fire light. The music fades away and we are left standing there in very close proximity. Neither of us do anything though. He slowly leans forwards and leaves a barely-there kiss on my forehead.

"Goodnight Granger," he gives me a smirk and walks back into his room, leaving me standing in the middle of the room with nothing but my thoughts.

The rest of the semester ends in a whisper and before I know it, people are leaving for the Holidays. All of the seventh years stayed and the castle seems empty without the younger students. The day after Christmas, Ginny and I walked down to Hogsmeade together. There is snow falling and the slight wind was moving the snow into our hair.

"Hermione, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!"

"I know, with the tournament happening, I haven't seen anyone. How have you been?"

"I've been fine, Harry asked me to the ball yesterday." Ginny said with a smile.

"Oh Gin, that's wonderful!"

"I kind of expected it but I am still super happy!" Ginny said. We continue walking through the town and finally arrive at the dress shop. We walk inside, and it's not as busy as I would've thought. I guess that's because it's only 7th years attending.

"Okay, Hermione. What color dress are you going to wear?" I look over at her and she's deciding which way to go.

"Oh! Well, I really don't know."

"Well, you're a Gryffindor, so let's try red." She grabs my hand and leads me to the red dresses. We sort through the dresses for a half hour. she had about 3 dresses in her arms and hands them all to me.

"Ginny, I don't know about these. They seem a little revealing."

"Come on Hermione! You have a nice body, you need to show it off. Now you try those on, I am going to look for my own dress." She walks over to the blues and purples and I go to the dressing room. I walk into the stall and hang up the dresses on their own hooks.

The first dress is long with a mermaid figure and one shoulder strap. I take of my clothes and try it on. It's fairly tight on me, but Ginny was right. It does show my curves quite well. I decide on a maybe and continue onto the next dress. This one is short and has too many jewels. Automatic no.

The third one is long again and the figure is still prominent. The fabric is loose and the top looks strapless but has a sheer fabric that goes over my shoulders. I try it on and I notice a slit going up from the bottom of the dress to my thigh. I can see my leg when I shift. The fabric is soft and I know that I want to show up to the ball in this gown. I peek my head out and start to call out Ginny, when I realize something. Why show her now? I'll wait until the ball to show anyone.

I change out of my dress and put my muggle attire back on. When I put the other dresses away, I find Ginny holding a dress that is a soft lilac color.

"So did you find one that worked for you Mione?"

"I did. You?"

"Defenitely." Ginny smiles and we go up to pay for our dresses.

After paying, we stop by the Three Broomsticks and grab Butterbeers. I had forgotten what having a gal pal felt like. When we sit down in a corner booth, Ginny and I start talking about the upcoming dance.

"Hermione, do you have anyone in mind for your date?" Ginny asks. I feel my face heat up slightly from memory of Malfoy.

"Not anyone in particular. I would be fine with going alone."

"Well, I know someone who would look great with you."

"And who's that Ginny?" I ask, smiling.

"Draco Malfoy."


End file.
